[ad_1]
China's Internet giant, Tencent, has announced that it will introduce a new age control system in its video games, which would be linked to a national public safety database.
The new real name registration system will initially be required of new players in its fantastic multiplayer fighting game, Honor of Kings.
It will be introduced around September 15, according to Reuters.
Tencent said the identity verification system, which Bloomberg considers a police check, is the first of its kind in China's gaming industry.
Last July, Tencent said it would impose a maximum playtime of one hour per day for children under 12 and a maximum of two hours a day for children aged 13 to 18 years.
"Thanks to these measures, Tencent hopes to continue to better guide the minor players to the game," he said in an official statement. relies on enhanced controls. He also announced his intention to gradually extend his requirements to his other games.
In total, Tencent's gaming portfolio would have more than 500 million players in China.
The decision comes as the Chinese government has cracked down on videos about fears of health and addiction problems among children.
At the end of last month, a statement posted on the Ministry of Education website indicated that new restrictions were needed to fight the worsening of myopia among minors.
Ministers have long stated that they want to limit the time children can play games – although achieving this result is clearly a major challenge, given the popularity of video games and the popularity of video games. proliferation of devices to which they are accessible.
Tencent's decision to link age verification to a public safety database appears to be another important step in realizing the government's goal of controlling the digital activity of children as well. And investors reacted negatively to the announcement, pushing Tencent's shares back by more than 3%.
The company's shares also fell about 3% last week when the government announced its latest crackdown on gambling.
Reuters notes that the shares of two other leading Chinese game developers, China Youzu Interactive and Perfect World, also fell by 5.5% and 3.6% respectively, as investors digested regulatory risk.
Last year, the Chinese government also tightened the general regulation of the Internet, thus doubling its long-standing registration rules.
Source link
